The hunting of the species will only be permitted in the Bothnian Bay-Kvarken area from the beginning of August.
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File photo. Image: Ronnie Holmberg / Yle
New regulations related to the hunting of the Baltic ringed seal will come into effect from the beginning of August, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has announced.
In a press release, the ministry said that from 1 August 2025 until 31 July 2027, the seals may only be hunted in the Bothnian Bay-Kvarken area — which form the upper part of the Gulf of Bothnia. The hunting usually runs from April until December.
The decree means that the seals cannot be hunted in the Southwest Finland area or around the Gulf of Finland, as no hunting quotas have been set for those regions.
However, the ministry has approved an increase in the annual hunting quota — which will now be set at 425 per year, an increase of 50 on the previous quota.
WWF Finland sharply criticised the Finnish government over the quota, saying it should be cut by half.
A study led by the University of Helsinki revealed this week that the population of the species has increased fivefold since the 1970s, due to the introduction of hunting quotas as well as a ban on certain environmentally-damaging chemicals.